Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Data On Covid Hospitalizations To Again Be Under CDC Purview
The US won’t renew its contract with TeleTracking Technologies Inc., a private company that took over Covid-19 hospitalization data collection from CDC in 2020, according to an email seen by Bloomberg News. Hospitals will resume reporting the data to the CDC in mid-December, with TeleTracking’s contract expiring on Dec. 31. (Griffin, 8/12)
In news about long covid —
A pair of studies published Friday detail long COVID, with US researchers finding that more than one in four pediatric patients hospitalized for COVID-19 or multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) had persistent symptoms or impaired activity 2 to 4 months later, and a Norwegian study revealing that nearly half of patients with mild COVID-19 still had symptoms after 1 year. MIS-C is a rare but serious post-infectious complication of COVID-19. (Van Beusekom, 8/12)
Thousands of long Covid patients across the globe are urging their governments to provide more help for the growing number of people facing lingering symptoms after infection. At least 90 long Covid groups exist around the world in 34 countries. Most are pushing for more research, improved clinical treatments and increased access to disability benefits, while others offer support and advice. (Payne, 8/14)
In covid news from Nevada, Colorado, and Massachusetts —
If you’ve gotten COVID-19 twice, you’re in good – and growing – company. Even if you’ve had COVID four times, you’re not alone. And if you think vaccination necessarily prevents reinfection, think again. COVID-19 reinfections represented more than 14 percent of cases reported statewide in June, up from about 9 percent in March. (Hynes, 8/12)
Colorado Department of Corrections officials are revisiting a policy requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for employees as the department scrambles to fill nearly 1,800 open positions. (Gutierrez, 8/15)
The state’s two largest health systems reported multimillion-dollar operating losses for the three months ending in June, a troubling bellwether of the immense financial strain facing hospitals just weeks after the Massachusetts Legislature failed to approve critical relief funding. (Bartlett, 8/12)
